Lasting and sewing machine



F. RICKS.

LASTING AND SEWING MACHINE.

w 9, 1 H 1' 0 N Patented Fig. 3.

NEW JERSEY.

,or P

LASTING AND SEWING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented N bV. 11, 1919.

Application filed August 24, 1915. Serial No. 47,044.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED Ricks, a subject of the King of England, residing at Leicester, Leicestershire, England, have invented certain Improvements in Lasting and Sewing Machines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings indi-' cating like parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to machines for lasting boots and shoes and securing the upper to the sole by stitches or other perma nent fastening means and particularly to machines for lasting and sewing shoes of the kind known in this country as stitchdowns and abroad as veldtschoen.

The invention will be described in connection with a machine of the type set forth in the printed specification of prior British Letters Patent No. 4058/1912. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not to be considered as limited in its application to machines of this type. The machine described in said British patent comprises a work support arranged to eX- tend into the angle or crease between the side of the last and the projecting margin of the sole, a gripper for seizing the upper and pulling it about the last and over the said work support, and a stitching mechanism including a curved needle and a presser foot for securing the margin of the upper to the projecting margin of the sole. The machine is also provided with a curved awl which pierces a hole through the work for the needle to pass through and which is moved laterally to effect the feed of the work. a

In operating upon certain kinds of stitchdown work, for example the larger sizes of boots and shoes, and particularly when sewing around the toe portion of lasts which have the side of the last substantially at a right angle to the sole or even undercut, an objectionable tendency of the sole margin to bend toward the last has been experienced. This difficulty is caused by the interaction of the gripper, the presser foot and the pull on the thread, and is due to the fact that the pulling of the upper material by the gripper tends to raise the last and sole as a whole while the presser foot and .the

thread when drawn tight tend to hold down the projecting margin only of the sole, it being understood that the shoe is presented to the machine with the sole uppermost. The result of this action of the gripper, presser foot and thread is that the upper material is not bedded or as is desirable into the crease, that is, the angle between the side of the last and the projecting margin of the sole, nor is the sole maintained in a fiat condition, but instead the margin of the sole is bent toward the last. This bending of the sole is more prominent when the sole is provided with a channel in which the stitches lie, the sole being then comparatively fieXible at the sewing line. This objectionable effect is also accentuated by the fact that lasts for stitch-down work are frequently beveled or rounded off at the side neXt the bottom portion in order to enable the seam to be brought closer to the plane of the side of the last. The effect of the interaction of the above-mentioned operating means is to produce an objectionable result in the fine ished shoe in that the upper tends to bridge the angle or crease instead of being forced into it. This detracts from the appearance of the shoe, particularly at the toe where the apparent height of the toe is diminished by the bending of the margin of the sole toward the last and away from the general plane of the remaining The general object tion is to overcome sults above set forth.

A feature of the invention consists in the combination with shoe positioning means, lasting means and fastening means, which means separately or together tend to produce a relative displacement between the portion of the shoe engaged by the positioning means and the unengaged portion thereof, of means for preventing or counteracting such displacement. As shown, the shoe positioning means comprises a fixed work support and a presser foot for holding the work upon the support, and the lasting means comprises grippers which tension the upper outwardly about the shoe over the work support. The fastening means, as shown, comprises sewing means including awl feed mechanism forfastening together of the present inventhe objectionable rethe materials comprising the projecting flange of the shoe. One means for prevent? ing or counteracting the displacement of the projecting flange of the shoe engaged by the positioning means may comprise means positioned in the crease, that is, the

portion of the sole angle between the side of the last and the projecting margin of the sole, which is arranged for movement upwardly against the projecting margin to prevent or counteract the tendency of the other operating mechanism to bend or displace the projecting sole margin out of the plane of the remainder of the sole.

Preferably, and as shown, the member positioned in the angle is given a movement with the shoe to assist in the feed movements of the shoe, and the corner of the member which lies in the angle is 1 adesharp and projects nearer to the shoe than the edge of the shoe support. By this construction, the upper is bedded more fully into the angle and the pulling of the upper over the support and the tightening of the stitch have therefore less tendency to displace the projecting margin of the shoe.

Another feature of the invention which may or may not be employed in connection with the angle-engaging means having the described movements and which is effective in contributing to the same results comprises the combination with shoe positioning means, lasting means and sewing means, of a member adapted to bear upon the sole of a shoe at a point nearer the central portion of the sole than that upon which the presser foot bears and which is operated at the proper time in the cycle of the machine to prevent or counteract displacement of the sole margin. The sole engaging member is preferably withdrawn during the feed of the work so as not to impede, by contact with the sole, the feed movements of the shoe. Preferably, the sole engaging member is brought int-0 position to support or to move the main por tion of the shoe before the pulling action of the gripper commences and is withdrawn before the feed movement of the work begins. As shown, the sole engaging means is normally inoperative, and means under the control of the operator is provided for rendering the sole engaging means operative and to alter or limit the extent of its movements.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a side view of the ,head of a stitch-lown lasting and sewing machine embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a rear view of a detail of construction Fig. 3 is a front view of the operative parts of the machine embodying this invention;

Fig. 4 is a side view of parts shown in Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the parts in Fig. 4..

substantially the shown In the drawings, 2 indicates the column upon which the head of the machine mounted. The main shaft 4 of the machine, from which the operative movements are derived, is driven by power applied to the pulley 6. The upper securing mechanism includes work positioning means comprising a work support or rest 10 upon which the upwardly projecting flange of the shoe is placed with the sole up; an awl 12 which operates through the work support 10 to penetrate the work L nd is then moved laterally to feed the work and bring the hole formed by the awl into position to receive the needle l t; and a needle 14: actuated downwardly through the work, the usual mechanism being provided for forming and drawing tight the stitch. The work is held upon the work support during this operation by a presser foot 16 which provides additional work positioning means. The feed movements of the awl are derived from the cam on the shaft 1 from which movement is communicated to the awl carrying slide 20 by a cam operated lever 21. The penetrating movements of the awl are efiected by oscillation of the awl carrier 22 about its pivot 24, this being effected by a cam operated segment 26 which engages a corresponding toothed segn'ient on the awl carrier. The mechanism thus far referred to is substantially similar to that described in United States Letters Patent No. 473,870, granted on application of French & Meyer, reference to which may be had for a fuller description than is herein given. The upper tensioning means comprises a gripper having an upper jaw 30 and lower jaw 32, which jaws are closed and then operated to tension the upper substantially in the plane of the upper face of the work support 10 by mechanism including a cam 34 on the shaft 4. The gripper mechanism is more fully described inthe British patent referred to above.

The mechanism embodying a feature of this invention comprises an angle engaging member 50 which is mounted on the pivot 24 of the awl carrier 22 and therefore moves with the awl in its feed movements. The main or fixed work support 10 is shortened and movements of the awl carrier to feed the work moves the member 50 laterally into a position adjacent to the lateral end of the support 10, so that the rest 50 forms a supplemental or auxiliary work rest which is substantially a continuation of the rest 10. A two-part work rest is therefore provided, one part of which is fixed and the other part of which is movable with the work to effect feeding thereof. The upper corner of the member 50 which is next to the work is made sharper than the corresponding edge of the rest 10 and provides a bedding or tucking means which partakes of the feed movement of the shoe and acts as additional means for feeding a portion of the upper that is yet unattached to thesole, consequently, the drag of this portion of the upper which is likely to occur in the prior construction is obviated. An additional result effected by the bedding member '50 which moves with the work in its feed movements is that the bending of the sole margin toward the last, as above referred to, is counteracted partly by'the action of the bedding member 50 tending to bend the sole margin away from the last and partly because after the material has once been fully positioned in the crease the tendency of the action of the gripper, presser foot and thread tightening mechanism to'bend the sole margin toward the last is greatly dlmimshed or eliminated. The sharpened edge or corner of the member 50 is also arranged in advance of or nearer to the shoe than the upper outer corner of the rest 10. This construction may be employed without danger of injuring the work, since the member 50 moves with the work during its feed move ments and the sharp corner. of the member 50 will act to tuck or bed the upper material into the angle between the side of the last and the projecting margin of the sole more effectively than is accomplished by a construction in which the edge of the member 50 is not arranged in advance of the con responding edge of the work rest 10.

The pulling of the upper over, the fixed work rest 10 by the grippers, as 1n the machine of the prior British patent above referred to, tends to lift the shoe agalnst the presser foot 16 and to bend downwardly the projecting flange of the shoe, thereby reducing the apparent height of the shoe at the toe, and this undesirable result is lncreased by the action of the sewing mechanism in tightening the stitch. When, however, the movable member 50 of the present invenhaving a sharpedge 51 to crowd the upper close into the angle between the last and the sole margin is employed this undesirable result is not so apt to occur and is substantiallyeliminated by giving the member 50 an upward movement in accordance with an important feature of this invention.

The upward movement of the member 50 which takes place in timed relation to'the movement of the other operative parts of the mechanism is effected as follows: The member 50 is normally in a position with its upper face substantially in the plane of the upper projecting-fromthe member 50, Fig. 3, then resting on a stop in 54 on an awl carrying arm 56 of the awl slide 20. A tension spring 60 mounted between the pin 52 and the pin 62 on the arm 56 maintains the'pin 52 normally in engagement with the-stoppi'n 54. W hen the awl approaches the limit of its penetrating movement a face'64 on the awl carrier contacts with the member 50 and moves it about the pivot 54 of the awlcarrier thereby lifting the work engaging portion of the member 50 slightly above the position to the work supporting means.

at a point between face of the fixed rest 10, a pin 52 r of the cam'blocks on the shaft shaft 82, Fig 2,

plane of the fixed rest 10, thereby bending upwardly the portion of the shoe flange which it engages and counteracting the tendeucy of the flange to be bent downwardly by the other operating mechanism. The lifting of the member 50- also assists in working the upper close into the angle or crease between the side of the last and the outwardly projecting flange of the sole and this action in itself reduces the tendency of the proj ecting flange tobend downwardly. By the construction described the member 50 is operated in timed relation to the other operative parts of the machine so as to press up wardly against the projecting margin of the sole at the proper time to prevent downward displacement of the sole. The member 50 is provided with an opening or slot 68 through which a strip of material forming a welt or rand may be introduced in be sewed with the upper to the projecting margin of the sole.

he sole is usually provided with a chan nel for the stitches which weakens the sole along the channel line and renders it more liable to be bent downwardly unless the machine is provided with the mechanism embodying this invention. Lasts of stitchdown shoes are frequently beveled or cut away at the side next the last bottom to permit the upper more readily to be worked into the angle and this reduces the support of the sole margin and increases the need of mechanism embodying this invention to support or lift the projecting flange.

It :has been found desirable, particularly when operating upon certain kinds of work, to provide mechanism to cooperat with that already described for holding or positively forcing downwardly the shoe against This mechaa sole engaging engages the shoe bottom the supporting means for the flange and the outer portion of the shoe rest ng in the operators hands and which 1s given a downward movement against the shoe in timed relation to the operation of the sewing mechanism and the lifting of the movable member 50 to depress the shoe against the supporting and positioning nism, as shown, comprises member 70 which of the shoe.

The member adjustment upon an arm 72 of an angle lever pivoted at 74, the other arm 76 of which is connected by a link 78 with mechanism for giving the link movement longiudinally. This mechanism comprises a yoke 80 pivoted on a shaft 82 and having an arm 84, Fig. 1, on the end of which is a cam roll 86 engaging a cam path 88 on one 4. The yoke the end journal 90 of the and has a slot 92 therein 80 extends over 70 is mounted for vertical 1 in which is mounted a slide 94 to which the rear end of the link 78 is pivoted at 96. When the slide is in the upper end of the slot, the pivot 96 is in line with the axis of the shaft 82 and no motion is communicated to the link 78 when the yoke 80 is rocked by the cam roll 86 acted upon by the cam path 88. When the slide 94 is moved downwardly toward the lower end of the yoke 80 more and more motion is transmitted to the link and hence to the member 70. The slide 94 is maintained normally at the upper end of its slot by a compression spring 100. A rod 102 is connected at one end to a link 78 near its rear end and at the other end is connected to a suitable knee lever or treadle, not shown. Obviously, a downward pull on the rod 102 will overcome the resistance of the spring 100 and move the slide 94 downwardly in the slot 92, thereby causing movement to be communicated to the link 78 and to the member which will then engage or depress the shoe. By operation of the control rod 102 the amount of movement of the member 70 is at all times under the control of the operator and the member 70 may be used or not as the work demands. The operating cam 88 is timed to depress the member 70, when permitted to do so by the position of the slide 94, during that portion of the cycle of the machine before occurrence of the tendency of the pull of the grippers or the operation of the other operating mechanisms to bend downwardly the projecting flange of the shoe and is withdrawn during the feed of the work so as not to interfere therewith. The member 7 0 when in depressed position serves as a bottom rest for the work and forms a fulcrum member about which the operator may rock the shoe to apply pressure of the projecting flange against the work support. By the above described controlling mechanism means is provided for limiting or rendering operative or inoperative during the operation of the machine the action of the sole engaging member 70 in preventing or counteracting displacement of the sole margin and the extent of movement of the sole engaging member may be altered or limited at the will of the operator. Furthermore, if desired, the main portion of the shoe may be given a positive displacement in a direction opposite to that in which the machine would in the absence of means provided by this feature of the present invention displace the sole margin by increasing the extent of the movement of the sole engaging member by the described manual control. It will also be noted that the shoe engaging member is maintained normally inoperative and out of contact with the sole, and the mechanism which is under the control of the operator may be made effective to move the member toward the shoe, the amount of movement given to the member determining whether it will serve as a rest or fulcrum for the Work to maintain the sole in a level or horizontal position or will depress the part of the shoe which it engages below the plane of the work rest.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a machine of the class described, the combination with shoe positioning means, lastingmeans constructed and arranged to draw the upper outwardly over the positioning means, a presser foot between which and the positioning means the flange of upper and margin of the sole are clamped. and sewing means, said sewing and lasting means tending to produce relative displacement between the portion of the shoe engaged by the shoe positioning means and thewunengaged portion thereof, of means to prevent such relative displacement.

2. A machine of the class described, having in combination, means for supporting the projecting flange of a stitch-down shoe sole by engagement with the upper covered face of said flange, means for sewing through the flange; and a member movable in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the flange and on the same side of the flange as the positioning meansto bed the upper material into the angle'between the side of the last and the projecting margin of the sole.

3. A machine of the class described having, in combination, lasting means, means. for supporting a projecting sole attaching flange, means for sewing through the flange, supplemental supporting means, and means for moving the supplemental means toward and from the supporting means to assist in feeding the work.

4. A machine of the class described hav ing, in combination, a support for the sole attaching flange of a shoe upper and the projecting margin of the sole, a gripper to pull the upper outwardly of the last over the flange and margin support, means for sewing through the flange in such manner that the tension of the tightening stitch tends to bend the flange and margin toward the last, and means to counteract the tendency of the grippers and sewing means to bend the flange and margin.

5. A machine of the class described having in combination, means for tensioning an upper outwardly substantially in the plane of the last bottom, a rest to hold the shoe against the pull of the tensioning means, a presser foot, means for securing the upper to the projecting margin of the sole, and means for counteracting the tendency of the other named operating means to flex the sole margin out of the plane of the remainder of the sole.

shoes having,

6. A machine of the class described having, in combination, means for tensioning an upper outwardly of the shoe substantially in the plane of the last bottom, a work rest to hold the work against the. pull of the tensioning means and over which the upper is drawn, means for securing the upper to the projecting margin of the sole, and means acting in the angle between the side of the last and the projecting margin of the solefor counteracting the tendency of the said other operating means to flex the sole margin out of the plane of the remainder of the sole.

7. A machine of the class described having, in combination, means for seizing an upper, a work rest, means for moving the rest and the upper seizing means relatively to tension the upper substantially in the plane of the last bottom, means for sewing through the tensioned upper and the projecting margin of the sole to secure them together, and means acting to tuck the upper into the angle and to bend upwardly the projecting margin of the flange of sole and upper for counteracting the tendency of the other named operating means to flex the sole margin out of the plane of the remainder of the sole. 1

8. A machine for. lasting stitch-down in combination, upper tensionlng means, means for securing to the outwardly projecting margin of a shoe sole the outwardly turned marginal portion of the upper, and means located in the angle between the side of the last and the projectin margin of the sole and movable to lift the projecting flange of the shoe to counteract downward bending of the flange. V

9. A machine for lasting stitch-down shoes having, in combination, upper tensioning means, means for securing to the outwardly projecting margin of the shoe sole the outwardly turned marginal portion of the upper, means movable with the shoe for tucking or bedding the upper into the angle between the side of the last'and the projecting margin of the sole, and means for giving said means an additional movement ment its tucking action.

10. In a machine for operating upon stitch-down shoes having, upper tensioning means, means for securing to the outwardly projecting margin of the shoe sole the outwardly turned marginal portion of the upper, shoe feeding means, and means which is moved with the shoein its feed movements for bedding the upper into the angle between the side of the last and the projecting margin of the sole, and means for giving the bedding means an additional operative movement prior to each action of the securing means to prevent belnding of the projecting margin of the so e.

to augin combination,

11. A machine for lasting stitch-down shoes having, in combination, means for lasting and securing to the outwardly proecting margin of the shoe sole the outwardly turned marginal portion of the upper, a Work rest to receive the projecting margin of the shoe, shoe feeding means, means forming substantially a continuation of the work rest, and means formoving the last named means in the direction of the feed movements of the shoe.

12. A machine for operating upon stitchdown shoes having, in combination, means for lasting and securing the outwardly projecting margin of the shoe sole to the out wardly turned marginal portion of the upper, means for feeding the shoe, a work rest to receive the projecting margin of the shoe, and a member having a sharp angle for engaging the shoe in the crease between the side of the last and the projecting margin of the shoe, said sharp angle being located in advance of the crease engaging edge of the work rest and partaking of the feed movements of the shoe.

13. A machine for operating upon stitchdown shoes having, in combination, means for lasting and securing to the outwardly projecting margin of the shoe sole the outwardly turned marginal portion of the upper, shoe feeding means, a work rest to receive the projecting margin of a shoe and lie in the angle between the side of the last and the projecting margin of the shoe, and a member lying substantially in the'plane of the upper fac of the work rest and havingan angle engaging edge projecting beyond the angle engaging edge-of the work rest and shaped to tuck the upper intothe angle.

14. A machine for operating upon stitchdown shoes having, in combination, a stationary work support having a corner adapted to lie in the angle between the side of the last and the projecting sole margin, bedding means forming substantially a continuation of the support and against which the wor may be pressed during the feed movements of the work to hold the upper in the angle, and means for moving the bedding means laterally to effect feed movements of the work.

15. A machine for operating upon stltchdown shoes progressively about the margin thereof having, in combination, a work support having a corner adapted to lie in the angle between the side of the last and the projecting margin of the sole and against which successive portions the work may be pressed to bed the upper into said angle, and means for giving the angle engaging edge of the rest upward movement to assist the bedding operation as it progresses about the shoe,

In a machine for operating upon stitch-down shoes, the combination of means for feeding the work, means for fastening the upper to the projecting margin of the of the other, a gripper arranged to pull the margin of the upper against the advancepart of the work rest so as to form a crease in the angle between the side of the last and the outstanding margin of the sole, and means for permanently securing the outturned margin of the upper to the projecting margin of the sole.

18. In a lasting machine, the combination of a work rest, means movable relatively to the rest for initially tucking the upper into the angle formed by the side of the last and the projecting margin of the sole and means for thereafter effecting a tensioning movement of the upper across the angle entering part of the tucking means.

19. In a machine of the class described, the combination with shoe positioning means, lasting means and sewing means, of means acting on a portion of the shoe not engaged by the positioning means to prevent relative displacement of the sole margin by reason of the action of the lasting and sewing means,

20. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a shoe support to receive the projecting sole attaching flange of the shoe and the projecting margin of the sole above it, lasting means for seizing the upper and tensioning the same over the shoe support, thereby tending to lift the sho e away from the work support, of means to engage theshoe upon the sole inwardly of the sole margin and acting to counteract such lifting tendency of the lasting means.

21. In a machine of the class described, the combination of supporting means for the projecting sole attaching flange, means for sewing through the flange, means engaging the shoe between the central port-ion of the shoe and the supporting means for depressing the shoe in time relation to the operation of the sewing means to prevent bending of the flange as the stitch is tightened,

22. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a support to receive the sole attaching flange of a stitch-down shoe and the projecting flange of the sole above it, a gripper to pull the upper outwardly of the last over the support, and

means for sewing through the flanges whereby tension on the upper and the tension of the tightening stitch tend to bend the flanges toward the last, of means acting on the shoe bottom to prevent the bending of the flanges.

23. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a work support for sustaining the projecting flange of the shoe, including the projecting margin of the sole, and the sole attaching portion of the shoe, means for securing together the parts of said flange, shoe feeding means, means engaging the shoe bottom to hold the flange against the support and'substantially in the plane of the remainder of the sole, and means for automatically moving the shoe bottom engaging means out of operative position during the action of the feeding means.

24. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a work support to sustain the projecting flange of a shoe including the projecting margin of the sole and the sole attaching portion of the shoe, means for securing together the parts ofsaid flange, shoe feeding means, means when in operative position forming a rest about which the shoe may be rocked to hold the flange against the support and prevent its being bent out of the plane of the remainder of the sole, means for moving the rest out of operative position during the action of the shoe feeding means, and means for varying at will the operative position of the rest.

25. A machine for operating upon stitchdown shoes having, in combination, a work support for sustaining the projecting margin of the sole and the outwardly extending margin of the upper, means for tensioning the upper over said supportffa presser foot for holding down the projecting flange of the upper upon said support and against which the projecting flange is forced by the action of the tensioning means whereby the flange tends to be bent downwardly, and means engaging the bottom of the shoe sole to counteract the bending of the flange.

26. In a machine of the class described; a work support for sustaining the projecting sole attaching flange of a shoe, means for securing together the parts of said flange including shoe feeding means, means forming a rest about which the shoe may be rocked to hold the flange against the support and substantially in the plane of the remainder of the sole, and means for withdrawing the rest during the feed movements of the work,

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

' FRED RICKS.

Copies of this patent may; be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

